Patents Assigned to Fluor Technologies Corporation
  • Publication number: 20230295755
    Abstract: A modular direct reduction system for producing direct reduced iron (DRI) includes a reformer system which receives a flow of feed gas and which discharges a flow of reducing gas, the reformer system including a plurality of separate reformer modules connected together and wherein each reformer module includes a reformer vessel including an internal chamber, a reactor tube extending through the internal chamber of the reformer vessel and containing a catalyst configured to react with the feed gas received by the reactor tube to form the reducing gas, and a burner to burn a fuel gas to heat the reactor tube, and a furnace system connected to the reformer system and including a furnace having a first inlet which receives an iron ore, a second inlet which receives the reducing gas from the reformer system to form the DRI, and an outlet which discharges the DRI.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Applicant: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan M. DAILEY, Ray A. CORRADI, Menko H. UBBENS
  • Patent number: 11725879
    Abstract: A natural gas liquid plant is retrofitted with a bolt-on unit that includes an absorber that is coupled to an existing demethanizer by refrigeration produced at least in part by compression and expansion of the residue gas, wherein ethane recovery can be increased to at least 99% and propane recovery is at least 99%, and where a lower ethane recovery of 96% is required, the bolt-on unit does not require the absorber, which could be optimum solution for revamping an existing facility. Contemplated configurations are especially advantageous to be used as bolt-on upgrades to existing plants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: John Mak, Sabrina Devone, James Shih, Curt Graham
  • Patent number: 11713246
    Abstract: A method and system for liquid sulfur degassing is disclosed. The method and system generally involve degassing liquid sulfur in a degassing vessel, and the level of the liquid sulfur in the degassing vessel is controlled in the degassing vessel by determining the level of liquid sulfur in the degassing vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen N. Fenderson, Thomas K. T. Chow
  • Publication number: 20230042038
    Abstract: In a hydrocarbon-fed steam methane reformer hydrogen-production process and system, carbon dioxide is recovered in a pre-combustion context, and optionally additional amounts of carbon dioxide are recovered in a post-combustion carbon dioxide removal, to provide the improved carbon dioxide recovery or capture disclosed herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Applicant: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Ravi RAVIKUMAR, Sunil SINGHAL
  • Patent number: 11505462
    Abstract: In a hydrocarbon-fed steam methane reformer hydrogen-production process and system, carbon dioxide is recovered in a pre-combustion context, and optionally additional amounts of carbon dioxide are recovered in a post-combustion carbon dioxide removal, to provide the improved carbon dioxide recovery or capture disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Ravi Ravikumar, Sunil Singhal
  • Publication number: 20220340419
    Abstract: Ammonia, methanol, Fischer Tropsch products, and derivatives thereof are made by using hydrogen and oxygen supplied from an electrolyzer that is at least partially powered by renewable power, resulting in green process and systems that produce green products disclosed herein. A process using biomass and renewable energy includes producing an unshifted syngas from biomass and oxygen in a gasification unit, introducing water into an electrolyzer to produce an oxygen product and a hydrogen product, and introducing the oxygen product to the gasification unit. The electrolyzer is powered by renewable energy, and the oxygen product supplies at least a portion of the oxygen to the gasification unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicant: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Ravi RAVIKUMAR, Sunil SINGHAL, Soumya Jyoti CHOUDHURY, Kakul SINGH
  • Publication number: 20220267147
    Abstract: A process for reforming for producing hydrogen and generating electricity, comprises: introducing a feed comprising a hydrocarbon stream to a reformer to produce unshifted synthesis gas (syngas); introducing the unshifted syngas to a water gas shift unit to produce a shifted syngas; removing CO2 from the shifted syngas to produce a CO2 depleted syngas and a CO2 product; introducing the CO2 depleted syngas to a pressure swing adsorption unit to produce a hydrogen product and an off-gas comprising carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, unreacted methane; splitting a portion of the hydrogen product; and providing the portion of the hydrogen product to an electricity generator for generating electricity for use within the process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Applicant: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Ravi RAVIKUMAR, Sunil SINGHAL
  • Patent number: 11420211
    Abstract: A method includes separating, in a first stage of separating, crushed ore material by size into a first fines stream and a first coarse stream; grinding the first coarse stream in a second stage of grinding; feeding the product of the second stage of grinding back to the step of separating; feeding the first fines stream from the step of separating to a recovery circuit; producing a rejected stream from the recovery circuit of crushed ore material that does not meet the target mineral size; separating, in a second stage of separating, the rejected stream from the recovery circuit into a second fines stream and a second coarse stream; grinding the second coarse stream in a third stage of grinding; and feeding the product of the third stage of grinding back to the recovery circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: FLUOR TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mark Sherman
  • Publication number: 20220259042
    Abstract: In a hydrocarbon-fed steam methane reformer hydrogen-production process and system, carbon dioxide is recovered in a pre-combustion context, and optionally additional amounts of carbon dioxide are recovered in a post-combustion carbon dioxide removal, to provide the improved carbon dioxide recovery or capture disclosed herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2021
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Applicant: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Ravi RAVIKUMAR, Sunil SINGHAL
  • Patent number: 11365933
    Abstract: A LNG liquefaction plant includes a propane recovery unit including an inlet for a feed gas, a first outlet for a LPG, and a second outlet for an ethane-rich feed gas, an ethane recovery unit including an inlet coupled to the second outlet for the ethane-rich feed gas, a first outlet for an ethane liquid, and a second outlet for a methane-rich feed gas, and a LNG liquefaction unit including an inlet coupled to the second outlet for the methane-rich feed gas, a refrigerant to cool the methane-rich feed gas, and an outlet for a LNG. The LNG plant may also include a stripper, an absorber, and a separator configured to separate the feed gas into a stripper liquid and an absorber vapor. The stripper liquid can be converted to an overhead stream used as a reflux stream to the absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: FLUOR TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: John Mak, Jacob Thomas, Curt Graham
  • Publication number: 20210381760
    Abstract: Embodiments relate generally to systems and methods for operating a natural gas liquids plant in ethane rejection and in ethane recovery. A natural gas liquid plant may comprise an absorber configured to produce an ethane rich bottom stream and an ethane depleted vapor stream; a stripper fluidly coupled to the absorber configured to, during ethane rejection, fractionate the ethane rich bottom stream from the absorber into an ethane overhead product and a propane plus hydrocarbons product, and configured to, during ethane recovery, fractionate the ethane rich bottom stream into an ethane plus NGL stream and an overhead vapor stream; and an exchanger configured to, during ethane recovery, counter-currently contact the ethane rich bottom stream from the absorber with the ethane depleted vapor stream from the absorber, thereby heating the vapor stream and chilling the ethane rich bottom stream before the ethane rich bottom stream is fed to the stripper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Applicant: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: John MAK
  • Patent number: 11179671
    Abstract: A system for carbon dioxide capture from a gas mixture comprises an absorber that receives a lean solvent system stream (containing a chemical solvent, physical-solvent, and water) from the stripper, a stripper that receives the rich solvent stream from the absorber and produces the product carbon dioxide and the lean solvent through the use of a reboiler in fluid communication with a lower portion of the stripper, a condenser in fluid communication with a vapor outlet of the stripper, a cross-exchanger in fluid communication with a rich solvent system outlet from the absorber and a rich solvent system inlet on the stripper, and a splitter. The splitter is configured to separate the rich solvent system stream into a first portion and second portion, where the first portion directly passes to the stripper and the second portion passes through the cross-exchanger prior to passing to the stripper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Paul M. Mathias, Satish Reddy
  • Publication number: 20210341221
    Abstract: An LNG plant comprises a cold box and a refrigeration unit fluidly coupled with a plurality of heat exchanger passes in the cold box. The refrigeration unit is configured to provide a first refrigerant stream to a first heat exchanger pass of the plurality of heat exchanger passes at a first pressure, a second refrigerant stream to a second heat exchanger pass at a second pressure, and a third refrigerant stream to a third heat exchanger pass at a third pressure. The second refrigerant stream comprises a first portion of the first refrigerant stream, and the third refrigerant stream comprises a second portion of the first refrigerant stream. The second pressure and the third pressure are both below the first pressure. The cold box is configured to produce LNG from a natural gas feed stream to the cold box using a refrigeration content from the refrigeration unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: John Mak
  • Patent number: 11112173
    Abstract: An LNG plant comprises a cold box and a refrigeration unit fluidly coupled with a plurality of heat exchanger passes in the cold box. The refrigeration unit is configured to provide a first refrigerant stream to a first heat exchanger pass of the plurality of heat exchanger passes at a first pressure, a second refrigerant stream to a second heat exchanger pass at a second pressure, and a third refrigerant stream to a third heat exchanger pass at a third pressure. The second refrigerant stream comprises a first portion of the first refrigerant stream, and the third refrigerant stream comprises a second portion of the first refrigerant stream. The second pressure and the third pressure are both below the first pressure. The cold box is configured to produce LNG from a natural gas feed stream to the cold box using a refrigeration content from the refrigeration unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: John Mak
  • Patent number: 11112175
    Abstract: Embodiments relate generally to systems and methods for operating a natural gas liquids plant in ethane rejection and in ethane recovery. A natural gas liquid plant may comprise an absorber configured to produce an ethane rich bottom stream and an ethane depleted vapor stream; a stripper fluidly coupled to the absorber configured to, during ethane rejection, fractionate the ethane rich bottom stream from the absorber into an ethane overhead product and a propane plus hydrocarbons product, and configured to, during ethane recovery, fractionate the ethane rich bottom stream into an ethane plus NGL stream and an overhead vapor stream; and an exchanger configured to, during ethane recovery, counter-currently contact the ethane rich bottom stream from the absorber with the ethane depleted vapor stream from the absorber, thereby heating the vapor stream and chilling the ethane rich bottom stream before the ethane rich bottom stream is fed to the stripper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: John Mak
  • Patent number: 11097952
    Abstract: Processes and systems for oxygen-enhanced Claus carbon dioxide recovery are disclosed. Oxygen is fed to a sulfur recovery unit instead of air. The tail gas is fed to a tail gas treatment unit which produces a treated tail gas, and the treated tail gas is processed in a carbon dioxide recovery unit to produce a carbon dioxide product. A method for retrofitting an existing sulfur recovery unit and tail gas treatment unit so as to recover the carbon dioxide product is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas K. T. Chow, Ryan Y. D. Chow, Ghaith Aljazzar, Denny Li
  • Publication number: 20210215420
    Abstract: A system for processing a gas stream can include a physical solvent unit, an acid gas removal unit upstream or downstream of the physical solvent unit, and an LNG liquefaction unit downstream of the acid gas removal unit. The physical solvent unit is configured to receive a feed gas, remove at least a portion of any C5+ hydrocarbons in the feed gas stream using a physical solvent, and produce a cleaned gas stream comprising the feed gas stream with the portion of the C5+ hydrocarbons removed. The acid gas removal unit is configured to receive the cleaned gas stream, remove at least a portion of any acid gases present in the cleaned gas stream, and produce a treated gas stream. The LNG liquefaction unit is configured to receive the treated gas stream and liquefy at least a portion of the hydrocarbons in the treated gas stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: John MAK, Jacob THOMAS
  • Publication number: 20210180862
    Abstract: The various processes of an ethane cracker plant may be segmented into separate process blocks, which may be interconnected using fluid conduits and/or electrical connections. These process blocks may be directly connected, for example without an external piperack or other external piping interconnecting process blocks. Each process block may be formed of one or more modules The process blocks can include an ethane cracking furnace, a steam generation process, a water stripper, a water quench, a compression, a caustic scrubber, a drier, a deethanizer, an acetylene conversion, a demethanizer, a refrigerator, or a splitter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Fred HANEY, Gary DONOVAN, Todd ROTH, Alan LOWRIE, George MORLIDGE, Simon LUCCHINI, Sean HALVORSEN
  • Patent number: 11034583
    Abstract: Contemplated systems and methods for removing polysulfides and hydrogen sulfide from liquid sulfur of a Claus plant include (a) physically separated steps of catalytic decomposition of polysulfides and gas stripping, or (b) use of the stripping gas as the continuous phase in a packed column with decomposition catalyst to so avoid catalyst attrition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen N. Fenderson, Vincent W. Wong
  • Patent number: 10989469
    Abstract: A system for processing a gas stream can include a physical solvent unit, an acid gas removal unit upstream or downstream of the physical solvent unit, and an LNG liquefaction unit downstream of the acid gas removal unit. The physical solvent unit is configured to receive a feed gas, remove at least a portion of any C5+ hydrocarbons in the feed gas stream using a physical solvent, and produce a cleaned gas stream comprising the feed gas stream with the portion of the C5+ hydrocarbons removed. The acid gas removal unit is configured to receive the cleaned gas stream, remove at least a portion of any acid gases present in the cleaned gas stream, and produce a treated gas stream. The LNG liquefaction unit is configured to receive the treated gas stream and liquefy at least a portion of the hydrocarbons in the treated gas stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Fluor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: John Mak, Jacob Thomas